Where to Buy Corals Without Spening $$$

[Meaty24]

I live in NYC. The only half way decent reef store is a rip off. I am in the process of stocking my tank.

Does anyone know of a semi-local place or very reputable on-line store where I can get corals? I can't stand paying these huge prices the local store charges.

 

[corbett_n]

check on craigslist, thats where I got corals worth probably $500 for around $50. Somebody wanting to get out of the hobby is like buying stuff from a crack head. They just want to get rid of it, even if they lose money.

 

[dcombs44]

local frag swaps are the best places to find great stuff for cheap. Find a local club and see if you can get some frags that way.

Shipping costs are only going up, so online vendors are going to be high as well.

 

[Meaty24]

Does anyone know if there are there any Frag show coming up in or near NYC?

Or, are there any local reef clubs in NYC?

 

[thetim6]

Check out all your LFS.


Good ones sell all kinds of nice corals, but some of them also have frag tanks with corals that breed in their system.

There is one store around me that I can get soft corals (zoas, shrooms, etc) for 1$ per polyp, or 10$ for a rock with about 20-30 polyps on it. There is another LFS that sells nice sized frags of various soft corals for 15$, reasonable for the size of the frags.

I live in a city not 1/10 the size of NYC, so I'm sure you can find a nice LFS, but it does take some looking around to find good ones.

 

[dv0920]

Manhattan reefs is a good place to start. I live in the city, and can't find any decent places, best and cheapest corals I ever got were from fellow reefers. I say or buys on here, sometimes people on here sell big frags of LE for cheap, and you can haggle them down too.

cheers
D

 

[Timbor]

I thought you needed $$$ to buy anything?

In all seriousness though, the above suggestions are the best. You could also make friends with a generous person with a huge, fully stocked tank, then milk the friendship for all its worth, lol.

 

[matthewscars]

Wonderful World of Fish in Astoria is pretty good. Its on Steinway Street.

 

[abulgin]

I find that if you frequent the same store and make nice with the owners, eventually they will recognize you and start to give you deals. That's what I do. I go to my LFS at least once a week, and sometimes more. I started bringing in my Chaeto trimmings to give to the guy, and before long he's cutting me all kinds of deals on corals. He sold me a really nice purple Mille frag (about 5") for $20, I got a huge Monti cap for $25, and he's always willing to frag some Acro pieces off his show tank for me for $10-$15.

 

[bdare]

Zoanuts.com
Reefhotspot.com
Fragfarmer.com
fragglereef.com

 

[Amoore311]

Fragglereef.com has free freight if you spend $200.

They have some nice stuff at very fair prices as well. $200 might seem a bit high for freight, but most Etailers don't even have Free Freight Options.

Also, if you're just starting to stock the tank.... I'm sure there's easily $200 worth of stuff you want to buy.


www.manhattanreefs.com is a very nice club. I'm up a bit farther in the Hudson Valley area, I still frequent the forums to check for deals. Good bunch of guys/gals in that group.

 

[bdare]

zoanuts and reefhotspot also have free shipping options. Reefhotspot even has a 14 day gaurantee!

 

[dv0920]

matthewscars

Ya its a good shop, I was there last night and met Steve the owner, good guy, very helpful, very clean nice shop, good ORA frags.

D

 

[O-man21]

Fragglereef for the win!

 

[Longchamp]

Is there a NYC reef club? My best corals are from other people in my local club. Like a poker star montipora for $8.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Local reefers, hands down.

 

[mflamb]

I agree with the local club/local reefer. I have over 80 sps and about 10 zoanthid colonies, all from reefers within 50 miles. Most of them were small frags, and some of them are high end stuff. All for about $600.